East Lyme's top Democrat resigns from town committee

East Lyme — Longtime Democratic Town Committee member and current Chairman Edward Morris has resigned from the town committee.

His resignation follows a disagreement over his mailed endorsements of New London Democratic Town Committee Chairman Bill Satti, who was challenging state Rep. Betsy Ritter in the Aug. 12 primary for the 20th Senate District, after the DTC had formally endorsed Ritter.

The letters, sent by Morris to Democrats in town, carried his signature on DTC letterhead.

In his Aug. 24 resignation letter, Morris said he had the right to endorse whomever he chose in the primary but has learned that some town committee members “are still at odds with me for endorsing a candidate in the primary that they did not support.”

“I cannot chair a divided committee and I have no intention of doing so,” he wrote. “Therefore, so that you can put your efforts in perspective and concentrate on what you are supposed to be doing during an election cycle, I am forgoing my passion for politics and letting you get on track to get the Democratic team elected in November.”

At Thursday’s DTC meeting, Vice Chairwoman Beth Hogan said the committee would leave the chairmanship position vacant for now. She said the committee would give it some time, and a leader would emerge later after the members campaigned together for Democrats running in this fall’s elections.

“We’re going to work as a team and get it done,” she said.

Morris, who did not attend the meeting, has served as chairman of the committee on and off for the past 50 years. He said he will continue to be a Democrat and serve on the Democratic State Central Committee.